Sking gloves and mits



Nov. 16, 1965 .J. MARCHAND 3,218,089

SKIING GLOVES AND MITS Original Filed Sept. 6, 1962 INVEN TOR.

JACQUES MARCHAND BYM ATTORN EY 3,218,089 SKIING GLOVES AND MITS Jacques Marchand, 381 Broad St., Newark, NJ. Original application Sept. 6, 1962, Ser. No. 221,712, now Patent No. 3,170,703, dated Feb. 23, 1965. Divided and this application Jan. 6, 1965, Ser. No. 423,753

3 Claims. (Cl. 280-1137) This application is a division of my current pending patent application, Serial No. 221,712, filed Sept. 6, 1962, now US. Patent 3,170,703, issued Feb. 23, 1965, for Skiing Gloves and Mits.

This invention relates to skiers gloves and mits, although the term gloves is used hereinafter to include mits, as the two are functionally the same for the purpose of the invention.

As known, ski poles are provided with looped straps, by which the two poles used may be securely held, the skiers gloves being inserted through the loops and wound around the wrists, which is inconvenient and time-consuming. This secure hold also has a hazard, viz., if a pole is accidentally caught in rocks or tree branches for example, as sometimes happens, the fast-moving skier is injuriously thrown. While certain suggestions have been made for overcoming this hazard, the present invention avoids some of the objections to prior structures. For one thing, the invention eliminates the mentioned usual looped straps and the mentioned procedure of engaging the gloves with them.

The managements of most skiing areas require that one of the skiers hands be free when using a lift, whether the lift is a rope lift or a chair lift. This requires the release of one hand from the looped strap before every lift, which is avoided by my invenion, and the latter provides means for conveniently carrying the usual two poles by attaching them to one glove.

The new structure also provides safety, which is done by having self-releasing connection between the gloves and the poles in case one or both of the latter are accidently caught, as mentioned. Other advantages will be appreciated by skiers.

Another advantage of the present invention is that the gloves may be worn when not skiing.

The drawings illustrate the invention, and in these:

FIGURES 1 and 2 show one form of the invention, the former being a side-viewed perspective and the latter a front-viewed, with the thumb of the glove spread out in both views;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view showing a snap fastener element fastened to a strap;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of a ski pole and a section of a snap fastener element connected to the top of the pole, this element being complementary to the element of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of the upper end portion of a ski pole; and

FIGURES 6 and 7 show a modified form of the invention in which a glove and accompanying strap are shown respectively in side-viewed and front-viewed perspective, with the thumb of the glove outspread.

Referring to the drawings for a detailed description thereof, and at first to FIGURES l and 4, the glove of FIGURES 1 and 2 comprises a finger portion 10 and a thumb portion or stall 11, the two connected by a wide strap 12 which is sewed at its ends to the thumb part and nited States Patent 0 to the first-finger side of the finger part 11. Two corresponding elements 14 of a releasable or snap fastener are clamped onto strap 12, as shown in FIGURE 3. This element comprises a cap 15 on the upper surface of the strap and a socket 16 on the under surface, the two being connected, as known. The reason for having two similar fastener elements in the strap is to provide means whereby the two ski poles may be suspended from one glove when the other hand is required to be free, which is mentioned above as being a required regulation in many ski areas.

The upper end portion of a ski pole 20, having a grip 20A, is shown in FIGURES 4 and 5. A snap fastener element 21, complementary to either of the elements 14 in strap 12, is attached to the top of the pole, as shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, so that the gloves may thereby be affixed to the poles with adequate holding effect for normal use of the poles, but are self-releasing if the lower ends of the poles are accidently held, as previously explained. It is to be noted that by connecting the strap to the top of the pole, the required pressing-down pressure is easier on the hand than would be the required squeezing pressure of the hand gripping the sides of the pole.

The modified form of the invention shown in FIG- URES 6 and 7 comprises a glove 25 having a thumb portion 26. A loop 27 is fastened at both of its ends to the wrist portion of the glove, and a strap 28 is passed thereunder, with its ends releasably connected by a buckle 29. The strap crosses the back of the hand and extends, on the palmar side, and in the form of a loop, up between the thumb and the body of the glove, and has two similar snap fastener elements 30, which correspond to elements 14 of FIGURES l and 2, by which the strap may be attached to element 21 on top of the pole, with the same mentioned self-releasing connection.

The term glove in the specification and claims includes the term mit, and these two forms of hand covering are equivalent for the purpose of the invention.

Various modifications of the described invention may be, which, however are less desirable than the structures illustrated. For example, a releasable fastener element, or two of them, may be fixed to the palm of a glove and its complementary fastener secured to the side of the grip of the pole.

I claim as my invention:

1. A ski pole, said ski pole having a hand grip at the end thereof, said hand grip having a top portion extending over one end of said ski pole, and a releasable fastener fixedly secured to said hand grip top portion for releasable securement with a mating fastener on a ski strap or glove, said releasable fastener being operative to release a mating fastener when a force is applied to the mating fastener along the longitudinal axis of the ski pole in a direction away from the ski pole.

2. A ski pole and strap combination comprising, a ski pole having a hand grip at one end thereof, said hand grip having a top portion extending over said one end, a releasable fastener secured to said hand grip top portion, an endless loop strap, said endless loop strap having a mating detachable fastener secured to one surface thereof, said endless loop strap mating fastener being matably secured to said hand grip fastener, said hand grip releasable fastener being operative to release said endless loop strap mating fastener when a force is applied to the endless loop strap mating fastener along the longitudinal axis of the ski pole in a direction away from the ski pole.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said endless loop strap has two mating fasteners thereon, each of said fasteners being individually securable to said hand grip 5 top portion releasable fastener References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,432,325 12/1947 McDougall 2160 10 2,436,755 2/1948 Lapell 2159 2,627,420 2/1953 Wheeler et a1. 280-11.37

FOREIGN PATENTS BENJAMIN HERSH,

Norway. Austria. Germany. Switzerland. Switzerland.

Primary Exan'zilzer. 

1. A SKI POLE, SAID SKI POLE HAVING A HAND GRIP AT THE END THEREOF, SAID HAND GRIP HAVING A TOP PORTION EXTENDING OVER ONE END OF SAID SKI POLE, AND A RELEASABLE FASTENER FIXEDLY SECURED TO SAID HAND GRIP TOP PORTION FOR RELEASABLE SECUREMENT WITH A MATING FASTENER ON A SKI STRAP OR GLOVE, SAID RELEASABLE FASTENER BEING OPERATIVE TO RELEASE A MATING FASTENER WHEN A FORCE IS APPLIED TO THE MATING FASTENER ALONG THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE SKI POLE IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM THE SKI POLE. 